DRINKING WATER

GettyImages-157742535 molecule pfas Custom Tank Designs That Actively Manage PFAS Mass Transfer Zone (MTZ) — And Why It Matters More Than Ever

As utilities prepare for the pending 4-ppt PFAS drinking water MCL, many are discovering that legacy lead/lag designs—workhorses for decades when treating contaminants in the ppm and ppb range—simply are not optimized for the parts per trillion-level (ppt) precision PFAS demands.

DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS

  • Engineered For Impact: The Carbon That Stands Out In PFAS Treatment

    Filtrasorb 400’s agglomerated pore structure and high volumetric capacity deliver unmatched PFAS removal, longer run times, and lower lifecycle costs—outperforming direct-activated carbons in real-world and lab testing.

  • Grundfos Solutions For Industrial Water Reuse

    Water is such a fundamental necessity for life that it is often taken for granted. In modern industrial societies, the water from every tap is expected to be so pure that we can drink it without a second thought. However, the reality is much more complicated. Mankind is becoming increasingly aware that fresh water is a rarity, and the process of water treatment is vitally importance to us all. This white paper is intended to introduce the reader to the many elements that constitute the water reuse process.

  • KETOS Ensures Consistent Product Quality With Water Quality Monitoring

    A microbrewery utilizing groundwater as one of the water sources in the brewing process had difficulty receiving permits. A full lifecycle remediation and monitoring process needed to be in place to receive permits. 

  • Hamad International Airport Reduces Leaks By 60%

    The airport had to deal with a large volume of non-registered water in its extensive water distribution networks. In the light of this situation, the implementation of Idrica’s services and technology managed to boost efficiency in the facilities. The results included a 60% reduction in the number of leaks and a 20% drop in maintenance costs.

  • How To Avoid System Downtime When Installing Flow Meters

    Water and wastewater utilities rely on accurate flow measurement for important process controls. These may include recycle streams, chemical dosing systems, and other operational functions. In addition, regulators require utilities to measure certain flows, such as treatment plant influent and effluent and potable water pumping. Accurate flow measurement is also important for monitoring and reducing unaccounted-for water.

  • Featured Profiles In Brewery Wastewater Success

    Stories of real success with packaged pumping and wastewater treatment systems at breweries are explored, including for regulatory compliance and/or water reuse capabilities. Packaged pumping and treatment systems have helped hundreds of brewers meet their permits for local collection and/or direct surface discharge.

  • Minimizing Disinfection Byproducts By Targeting Natural Organic Matter Precursors

    Water treatment plants (WTPs) need to lean less on the disinfection process strategies (i.e., chloramination) and instead focus on more comprehensive DBP solutions such as removing TOC. Here's why.

  • Small Community Leads Central Florida In Potable Water Reuse Implementation

    Altamonte Springs’ implemented a pilot program called the pureALTA project with two primary goals – to serve as platform for future potable water reuse efforts; and to educate the 45,000 residents about the benefits of potable water reuse.

  • Case Study Report For Z-92® Uranium Removal – Morongo Del Sur, CA

    The Golden State Water Company selected WRT’s Z-92® Uranium Removal treatment system to reduce high concentrations of uranium in a single treatment system for three wells located in the Morongo Valley of California.  Since installation of the Z-92® Uranium Removal treatment system in Morongo del Sur in 2013, the uranium levels are being reduced to levels below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).

  • Water Distribution System Challenges And Solutions

    Limited new natural water sources, especially in the southwest region of the USA, and rapidly increasing population has led to the need for innovative methods to manage a water supply system.

DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES

  • The Active Control Program For Advanced UV Oxidation
    12/1/2025

    This application note will explore how active control programs lower operational costs of compliant contaminant removal. 

  • Ion Exchange Resins Reduce Pollution From Refineries
    12/23/2013

    A single operational oil and gas refinery produces millions of gallons of contaminated wastewater a year, leading to environmental pollution concerns. Ion exchange resins are a metal- and ion-removal solution to help clean this wastewater for plant reuse or safe disposal. This application guide explains how resins can be used to demineralize refinery water in process, boiler, and cooling water applications.

  • Waterworks Joints 101
    10/30/2025

    There are many different joints that can be found on waterworks pipeline components. This paper focuses on the three most common joints.

  • Network Monitors Water Quality In Shale Gas Drilling Region
    9/2/2011
    High-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemicals that fracture shale deposits deep underground to free trapped natural gas is employed by drillers tapping the Marcellus shale beds, a geologic deposit that stretches from central New York to Virginia and contains gas believed to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. By YSI
  • Application Note: YSI Water Quality Monitoring Buoys Help Connecticut DOT Protect The Housatonic River
    12/27/2005
    When replacement of the Sikorski Bridge spanning the Housatonic River was authorized, Paul Corrente and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT-DOT) set about the design and development of a water quality monitoring program to monitor the contractor’s in-water activities to insure full protection of the river from perturbation
  • How To Install A Submersible Pump In Discharge Tubes
    11/28/2012

    In the fields of water and waste water technology, submersible pumps represent a viable economic and technical alternative to conventional, dry-installed pumps. In particular, they offer a number of handling advantages during maintenance and installation work.

  • Recording & Control: In Coagulant Dosage Applications For Potable Water Treatment
    7/1/2019

    Potable water or drinking water as it is also known, is water that is safe to drink or to be used in food preparation. Typically, in developed countries, tap water meets the required drinking water standards, although only a small proportion is actually drank or used in food preparation.

  • Advances In Paper-Based Devices For Water Quality Analysis
    2/22/2017

    Water quality test strips have been around for decades. They are usually constructed from a porous media, including different types of paper, and undergo a color change when dipped into water containing the analyte of interest. These test strips have seen application in swimming pools, aquariums, hot tubs, remediation sites, and other commercial/environmental areas.

  • Best Practices In Moist And Wet Gas Flow
    12/20/2021

    The Wet Gas MASSter sensor is for use in applications that have a high level of moisture or condensation present in the gas flow stream that cannot otherwise be removed.

  • Dissolved Oxygen Measurement
    11/11/2013

    One of the most important measurements in the determination of the health of a body of water is its dissolved oxygen content. The quantity of dissolved oxygen in water is normally expressed in parts per million (ppm) by weight and is due to the solubility of oxygen from the atmosphere around us.

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

The Dura Mag is an ideal solution for nearly any water manager. With a five-year battery life (and three-year battery warranty), the Dura Mag eliminates the need for AC power connection, and provides the easiest installation available on the market for a flanged mag flow meter. In addition, the Dura Mag comes equipped with an internal datalogger with five years of data storage to ensure you always have access to your historical data. The Dura Mag also has several telemetry-ready output options, and the converter settings are USB port accessible which eliminates accidental setting changes.

ECT2 has ready-to-run Pilot PS Series for rapid deployment and implementation around the world.

The PTBT4 is a lab-accurate water quality pocket tester that allows you to use your mobile device and the X2 app to measure, store and export data.

HYMAX GRIP  joins and restrains a wide selection of pipes of different types and diameters, easily and reliably. Due to its patented design, it allows the joining of pipes of the same or different materials and diameters and preventing axial pipe movement.

SITRANS TF is used where other transmitters can't cope. One main point is its rating of IP67.

This instrument is designed to be extremely accurate, fast, and simple to use in diverse water quality applications.

LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER

DRINKING WATER VIDEOS

GE partnered with the Wharton School's Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) for an industry leaders' discussion about the energy/water nexus in unconventional oil & gas production.

The International Junior Science Olympiad 2017 (IJSO) was held in the Netherlands in December 2017. Xylem Inc. was official sponsor of the event, in which students aged 15 from 50 countries compete with one another on the topic Water & Sustainability.

How researchers at UC Merced are developing a better understanding of the three sources of water upon which California depends in order to adapt to the effects of environmental changes and make better use of this most precious of our natural resources.

In this episode of the Water Online Show, hosts Travis Kennedy and Kevin Westerling explore AI's transformative role in water utility operations with guest Dave Brown, Director of Maintenance at Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), which serves nearly a million customers across 682 square miles in Southern California.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy speaks at the 40th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) on December 9, 2014 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

ABOUT DRINKING WATER

In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:

  1. Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
  2. Drinking water treatment of source water
  3. Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers

Drinking Water Sources

Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater. 

Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.

Drinking Water Treatment

Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.

There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.

The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.

The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.

During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.

Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.

Drinking Water Distribution

Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.

A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.

Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.